Strings of Fate: A Broken Marionette
by FallingIllusion
Summary: Yuki, Mayuri’s second shinigami creation, has been blinded by her loyalty for him. Captured for murder Yuki finds herself in jail. Her friend believes she is innocent and kills himself to free her, but Yuki wakes up to realize she has forgotten everything
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

_**Disclaimer: I do **__**not**__** own Bleach!**_

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(note from author: this fanfic does not go along with the manga's main story line)

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_Dress me up in frills and lace, curl my hair and set it in place; paint my lips a vibrant red, place a hat upon my head. Attach a cord to my arms and legs; make me dance upon a stage. Place me back upon a shelf; leave me alone, all by myself._

I am a doll, a tool, nothing more. It is what I was born as, and what I shall die as. My Master wills it so. And I cannot disobey my Master. He created me, he gave me life, and he made me breathe. His will is absolute.

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The night was young; the sun had just set, leaving behind its brilliance of color in the darkening sky. A group of soul reapers dashed through the forest, hoping to reach their target before darkness engulfed everything.

"Keep moving," I ordered the three other 12th division members that followed behind me. We were on a simple mission, seek and destroy a certain hollow, but all of us wished to get the job done quickly. If night set before the hollow was located, and hopefully destroyed, we would have to set up camp and wait until morning to continue the mission. That would waste valuable time.

After every passing minute the sky grew darker and darker, until the stars came out, and we were forced to set up camp.

"Damn it," Akio swore. His seat in the division was 6th. "I can't believe we were forced to set up camp! This was supposed to go smoothly."

"It never goes as smoothly as planned, Akio," Aoi remarked. Her seat was 9th.

"Hideki," I commanded them, "scout around camp in a 30 meter radius. As usual, if something happens, set off a flare. Aoi set up the bedding. Akio, get a fire ready but do not light it." I went to preparing dinner.

As the leader of the squad, it was my responsibility to look after the other three and make sure we are all safe. Safety is the main objective of this mission. Though the risks are very low because the hollow we are hunting was very un-advanced, I would not take chances.

I offered to do the first watch, which would then be followed by Akio, then Aoi and finally Hideki. In the morning we would set off once more. If it would happen that by noon tomorrow, the hollow was not located, we would have to return to the soul society. I did not want to fail, so I made a point to be up early and be ready.

The night was beautiful. I loved the night, though the darkness hindered my sight, leaving me vulnerable. The stars were magnificent, and the air cool and crisp.

My squad mates were sleeping now, soundly in their beds. I watched them for a while, breathing in, breathing out. Slowly, calm and relaxed. The pains of the day did not penetrate into their comfortable sleep. A sad smile showed on my lips.

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**Yay! The introduction to my first Bleach fanfic is done. Now I can get down to more serious writing on it. I love bleach so much I'm surprised I didn't write something on it before! The chapters will get longer.**

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	2. Chapter 2: I Am His Puppet

Chapter 2 – I Am His Puppet

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I returned to soul society along with my squad. We had purified the hollow and therefore our mission was done. I had to go report to our Captain.

"Master," I knocked on his laboratory door. Odd smells always came from that room, the odor of many concoctions and experiments. You could smell them, if only faintly, throughout the 12th Division building.

"What is it, Yuki?" I heard his distinct voice from the other side of the door.

"I have finished the mission, the hollow is purified," I reported to him. The door opened, and I saw inside his lab for the first time. I was awe-struck. Glass bottles of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, there were tables scattered with papers, and many other objects that I had no idea what they were. My Master stood in the doorway.

"Come in," he beckoned me with his hand. I hesitated for a moment, not once before had he brought me into his lab, nor even _shown _me what was inside. Why did he now do both?

I took a step, and another, and another, and I was inside. He closed the door behind me, and I noticed Nemu in the corner, she looked up at me and then looked back at her work.

"Did you bring it?" he asked; I nodded. I reached into my kimono and pulled out a wrapped object. It had fallen out of the hollow when I thrust my zanpakuto into its forehead. None of the other shinigami with me had noticed it, thankfully; otherwise I would have had to end their lives as well, as ordered by my Master. I did not wish to do such a terrible act, so I hid my tracks as best as I could.

His plaster-white hand reached out and took the wrapped object. He turned from me and walked over to Nemu and handed it to her. She unwrapped it, revealing a small gem. I didn't know what it was; I just brought it back as I was told.

"Good, good," he said to me. "Are they still…with us?" he was talking about the other squad members that went with me.

"Yes," I replied. "They were too busy celebrating to notice that anything was there, and it was simple for me to retrieve it because I was the one who purified it."

"Very good, Yuki. You are doing your job very nicely," he opened the door once more, and I walked out. I didn't look behind me; I just went, then retired to my living quarters to wash up.

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"Hey, Yuki!" I heard a voice at my door, and I lifted myself out of the bath, wrapped a towel around myself, and walked over.

"What is it, Riku?" I asked the now red-faced man who stood at my door.

"Uh…Yuki!" he cleared his throat. "I just came to bother you. What's up?"

"Nothing," I replied. This man was the 8th seat in my division, and he always acted friendly towards me. _I don't know why he does that, though. We have little in common._

"You doing anything later this evening?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well then, can I ask you to dinner?"

"To dinner?"

"Yeah. You know, you and me, eating out. What do you say?"

"Alright, sure." I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Back inside my room I couldn't help but think about him. _Why would he ask me to dinner? I cannot grasp the fact that anybody would want to go on a date with me. Sure, I suppose I am pretty, that is how my Master made me. He would not want to look upon some ugly wretch._

_Is it because I looked so much different from everybody else? My skin is very pale, my hair is so blonde it is close to being white, and my eyes are the color of the sky. Nobody has eyes like mine. I wonder why Master gave them to me. But how is looking so much different than everybody else a good thing? Master looks different, maybe that has something to do with it._

I didn't know what to think of it. Someone asked me out. "I guess I'll go, there will be no harm in it," I said to myself just as I heard another knock on my door. I was still not dressed, so I had to answer the door this way again. Nemu, my 'sister', stood at the door. "Hello Nemu."

"Good afternoon, Miss.," she said politely to me. "Master has another mission for you, but he was too busy to tell you himself. As you know he's working on a new experiment…"

"I envy you, Nemu," I did not mean to say that, but my thoughts just came out on my tongue. She looked at me oddly, so I had to continue. "You get to spend so much time with Master. Up until today I've never even seen inside Master's lab, and he spends most of his time there. You were his first success with his gigai and gikon experiments, does that mean he trusts you more than me?"

"No, it's not that, Yuki," Nemu had a distressed look on her face. I wondered how she could feel distress when she gets to spend so much time with our creator. "Spending so much time with Master Mayuri isn't as good as you make it sound."

"How can't that be?" I was baffled. How could Nemu say something like that? Mayuri-sama was our Creator and our Master, I couldn't imagine spending time with him be anything other than good.

Nemu invited herself in and closed the door behind her. "Master Mayuri is…abusive," she explained to me details about things that Master had done. At first I didn't believe her, I thought she was making it all up. But Nemu wouldn't make anything like that up. Why hadn't I seen that side of Master before?

Nemu left me with a scroll that Master had told her to deliver to me. I placed it on a table in my room, not wanting to open it quite yet. "Nemu said that Master had hit her more than once. She said that he had even cut her with his zanpakuto, the Ashisogi Jizo. Why does Nemu still follow Master if he had truly treated her like that? Would I still follow Master if he showed me that side of him?"

I looked at the scroll. What mission was inside it? My fingers wrapped around the paper and I unrolled it. The message was short, I had to purify once more. Master's orders were clear, I had to kill our own 6th seat, Shika Akio.

It was then that I made up my mind. No matter what it was Master told me to do, no matter what Master did to me, I would still follow him.

He is my Master; I am his puppet.

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**Thanks for reading! Please review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3: My Oldest Friend

Chapter 3 – My Oldest Friend

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I wept. What else could I do? Akio's body lay at my feet, his blood was on my hands. I had killed him, just like Master had said to. Akio was dead.

When I wiped the tears from my eyes they returned instantly, smearing the black I wore around my eyes, making it run down my cheeks as well. I looked once more at his face. It was calm and peaceful, just as it was when I had watched him sleep the night before. How could he be so calm in death?

I got up, knowing I shouldn't dwell there, and to leave before somebody came. How Master was going to cover this up, I did not know. I just escaped through the window into the night. As I ran I hoped I wouldn't run into anybody, but my fears were realized. Hinamori Momo, assistant Captain of the 5th division, came into view. She recognized me instantly and called to me. I was thankful for the cloak of nighttime, because she didn't notice my bloody kimono.

"Hello, Yuki," she smiled at me. My face was also hidden because the moon was behind me, but I saw hers clearly. She was happy and beaming. But I couldn't waste any time. Someone might come and notice I was covered in blood. I couldn't be found out, Master had stressed that.

Unfortunately for me Akio was at his girlfriend's house when I had killed him, so I could not merely run back to my room. I had to leave the 11th division building and flash step back to the 12th.

"I'll see you later, Momo!" I waved to her and hurried on my way. I did not encounter anybody else.

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"Good evening, Akio," I had said to him. He was polishing his zanpakuto while he waited for the return of his girlfriend who had gone out for food. I had come and he let me in.

"How are you doing, Yuki?" he asked me. "Is your leg still bothering you?" Akio was one of those people who changed completely depending on the situation. When he was in battle he was a great leader, and he was serious and determined. When around others he was funny and energetic, and while around me he seemed different yet.

"No, it's fine now, thanks to you," I replied. A tear came to my eye as I thought of what I must do. _Standing here and talking with him will just make it harder…_

"Is something wrong?" he was now off of the floor and standing in front of me. "You're crying."

"Akio…" I couldn't hold them in any longer, so I gave up and let them fall down my face.

"Yuki! What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he hugged me. He might have been trying to heal whatever was making me hurt, but it only made it worse.

"I can't do it," I whispered to myself, he obviously heard me.

"Can't do what? Yuki, has Kurotsuchi made you do something you didn't want to?" he asked. I don't know how he had guessed it so easily. I had to nod; it was impossible for me to lie to him. He swore at Master.

"No, it's okay! Don't blame Master for it," I knew that Akio never really liked Master, and I never knew why. Until Nemu had told me what he had done, anyway, then I could guess.

"I will, Yuki. I'm going to blame him. He's made you cry. He's made my sweet snow flake cry, I could never forgive him for that," his words weren't in the least comforting, they only made my heart ache more.

"Don't say that…" I choked, and started to sob. "Don't say that about him…Akio…"

"Shh, Yuki," he stroked my head as he held me in his arms. Akio was my oldest friend. "What did he want you to do?"

"I cannot say," I replied. "It's too awful for me to think about. I…don't want to carry it out but…I know that I have to. Master has a plan, he thinks everything through."

"Listen, Yuki. I know he 'created' you, but just because he did, it doesn't mean he's always right. You're still a person, you can make decisions for yourself."

"He was right about the hollow yesterday," I told him, it would do no harm, after all, dead men tell no tales. "The gem was inside it."

"What gem?"

"The gem he made me retrieve. Akio, Master is everything I have. If I cannot believe in him, who or what can I believe in?" I looked into his eyes. He seemed almost ready to cry with me.

"You could try to lean on your friends more, Yuki," he whispered to me. "Kurotsuchi doesn't have to be the only person in your life. You have me."

"I'm sorry Akio, if only you had told me sooner."

"What are you talking about? It's okay, I'm still here."

"No, no Akio. You're not still here. Master has sent me to take your life," I said as I drew my zanpakuto. For the instant that he knew his fate I think that he didn't believe I would do it. I pointed my zanpakuto towards his heart and lunged forwards. His blood poured out over me, covering me in warmth like he had always shown towards me. His last word was _Yuki._

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**I listened to Tokio Hotel's **_**Ich Bin Nich Ich **_**5 times while writing that! It almost made **_**me **_**cry! :O**

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	4. Chapter 4: And Misery Will Sing

Chapter 4 – And Misery Will Sing

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The next few days were lonely ones. They passed slowly and painfully. After I reported to Master that I had completed my mission, I went to my room and haven't left for 3 days now. Master had no new missions for me, and nobody knocked at my door. That night I had missed my date, and since then I hadn't seen Riku. I felt nothing for standing him up, the sorrow of losing Akio controlled my emotions. Even Nemu didn't come to my door.

I was sitting on my bed, staring at my door that hadn't moved in hours, studying the grain on it because I had nothing better to do. Suddenly I heard a knock, and I lifted my head. It hurt to move, but I got off my bed and walked to the door. My kimono was new, I had to throw the old one out, but I was sweaty and it was already sticking to my skin.

I opened the door slowly. Though I had waited days for someone to come to see me, just to see me, so I would know someone cared, answering the door _knowing _it couldn't be Akio dulled the excitement I thought I would feel. I still felt like crap.

Two shinigami whom I had never seen before stood in the doorway.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Shika Akio, you are guilty until proven innocent," his words were like a dagger piercing my heart. I didn't resist, I had no fight in me from days of depression. The two shinigami leaded me through the 12th division building, and we passed Master's Lab.

"Wow, what's that stench?" one of the shinigami complained.

"I don't know, but I smelled it when we came in, too," the other one answered.

"Master?" I whispered. _They aren't going to take me away from Master, are they? Now that Akio is…gone…I truly don't have anybody left. Master is all I have, if they take me away from him, I'll just be an empty shell. _

The thought disturbed me.

After we left the building I was sure that Master didn't know they were taking me. I had to do something to get away from these men. They hadn't taken my zanpakuto, and I could still flash step faster than most in my division. I was going to run. Abruptly I took to my feet, and in a matter of minutes I had lost my pursuers. I returned to my division building, but went in the back way because I was sure that after they had given up looking for me they would return here. I instantly ran to my Master's lab door and knocked.

"Master!" I yelled. "Master, they have come for me. They are going to take me away; they know I killed Akio! Master!" Nobody answered the door. "Master!"

"_You_ murdered Akio?" I turned around to see Aoi behind me.

"I…I did," my eyes turned to the floor. "It was Master's order."

"Mayuri's orders or not, how could you do that?" she punched me in the face, and I hit the lab door behind me and slid to the floor. "You bitch! He was my brother! Why the hell did you kill him?" she kept punching me, and I knew I deserved it.

"Master told me to," she didn't like my answer, and beat me even harder.

"Screw you!" she yelled. Nobody was drawn to the scene, and strangely I hadn't seen any other members as I had left the building with those shinigami. Where was everybody? "I'll kill you, you freak! You weren't even _born; _you were _made! _What gives _you_ the right to kill him?"

She picked me up by my kimono and kept punching me. My nose was bleeding, my face was sore and I couldn't see out my left eye very well anymore. I caught her punch, not willing to take any more punishment right then. I had to find Master.

"I have to find Master, get out of my way," I threw her to the ground. She was no match for me. "Aoi, I'm sorry." I said as I ran off, but I knew she didn't believe me.

"Bitch!" she shouted down the hall.

Nobody else was in the building. I found that quite odd. _Where else could Master be?_

"Master!" I called out for him. I couldn't find him anywhere, where could he have been? "Master, where did you go?"

At that moment I gave up hope of finding him, and suddenly the two shinigami that had taken me before came running down the hallway towards me telling me not to move or they would attack. I didn't move.

They reached me, took my zanpakuto, blindfolded me, and cuffed my arms. I thought it to be a little extreme, but they were fat and panting because of the chase, so they obviously didn't want to work anymore than needed.

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I sat for days on end in that cell. Four brick walls surrounded me. There was a steel door in one allowing some light from the crack underneath, because there was no window. I sat in a corner, engulfed by the darkness of my fate.

Sitting there, away from Master for so long, not even knowing where he is, I felt dead. I thought I would die in there, with little food and water, and no contact to anyone but the person who delivered the meals that I barely touched. I couldn't eat. I had killed my dearest friend and lost my Master, my creator, and my guide. All I could do was sit there, wilting, dying, and decaying.

I was also in pain physically. My eye was swelling and blood coated the left side of my face. It throbbed continuously.

In that dark prison I had given up hope. I didn't wait because there was nothing to wait for. I just _was. _I was there taking up space, being neither a hindrance nor a help to anyone. And if you cannot help nor hinder anybody, what is there to do? There is nothing. Once hope is gone, you have nothing.

After what must have been days, because the man had brought me many meals, I finally closed my eyes to sleep. Before I could drift off I realized something. I still had hope. Hope that Master would free me, and I'd be able to see him again. Wishing to sleep meant I was tired and wanted strength, which meant I was still alive. I _was _still alive. I could breathe, I could blink, I could talk, and I could sleep. Sleep sounded very nice…

…as long as I woke up again…

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**4 chapters in one day, I'm proud of myself haha xP**

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	5. Chapter 5: Forgotten Faces

Chapter 5 – Forgotten Faces

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A bright light shone on me, blinding me after such darkness. Where was I? I opened my eye and it took me a moment to see anything. I was in a bed, the sun shone in through a window to my left. I was in some sort of house, but the room was very plain. I sat up; a shot of pain went through my whole body. I think I screamed as I hit the bed when I fell back down.

"Ow!" I grit my teeth so as not to scream again. The sound of footsteps came from outside the door to the right side of the bed, and the door opened revealing a young girl. She had long black hair and wore a homely, worn kimono.

"Good morning!" a smile was on her face. "I'm glad you're finally awake, you've been sleeping for days!" she came over to the side of the bed and started to fix the bandages over my left eye. "Is there pain anywhere?"

"Everywhere," I replied. My voice was rough; I hadn't spoken in awhile.

"Haha! Yes I suppose so. You were quite beat up when I found you," she told me. I managed to sit up with her assistance.

"Where am I?" I asked, when suddenly I realized I didn't remember anything. _My name is Yuki, _I thought, but then drew a blank.

"You're in a small village called Taijusato," the girl replied. "Oh! My name is Cho, what's yours?"

"My name is Yuki," I replied. "Tell me, what happened?"

"You mean how we found you? Obaasan will be able to tell you. I wasn't there," Cho replied. "I'll go get grandma," in an instant she was gone. I closed my eye and tried to think of some kind of memory, something from my past so that I might remember everything, hopefully. An image of great horror appeared in my mind's eye, and I opened my eye quickly because I couldn't stand to look at it. It was the bloody figure of a man lying on the floor, and a sword in his chest.

"A sword in his chest…" I whispered. "…held by my hand. What was I?" I looked over by the table beside my bed. A black kimono and a sword lay on it. At that moment the girl returned with an elderly lady.

"This is Obaasan!" she smiled.

"Good morning, young one," the elderly lady walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge of it. "You can call me Obaasan, because as far as I know, you are lacking any family of your own. Tell me about yourself, young one."

"My name is Yuki," I replied, and thought it better not to mention the image of the dying man. "But that's all I can remember. I don't remember anything else from my past."

"Is that so, Yuki?" I nodded.

"I wish I could remember something, but I can't. Could you tell me how you found me?"

"It was the late afternoon when I found you. I was out with my son, Yori, when I saw a man walking down the main path outside towards our farm. He was tall, and he carried a young woman. We went up to him; he was exhausted from the heat and hadn't had water in a considerable amount of time. He asked me to take the woman and care for her when she woke up. He told me to give you this note…" the woman reached inside her old kimono and pulled out a sealed scroll. "Do you know how to open it? There is some kind of spell on it to lock it."

I took the scroll from the old woman and examined it. I tried the first thing I thought of, and to my immense surprise, it opened. I hurriedly began to unroll it, but the old lady took hold of my arm.

"Be careful," she warned, "you do not know what lies in that scroll. It might be merely a clue as to help you remember your past, but it might also be horrible news of any sort. It might be better not to remember. Think about it, then do as you wish."

Those words mixed with the terrible image I saw made me hesitant opening the scroll, but I read it just the same.

_My dear Friend, Yuki,_

_This is Hideki, I'm not sure if you'll remember me or not when you read this, because when I rescued you from the cell you seemed to have forgotten a great deal. You'd even forgotten your Master's name. I am one of your close friends, and a fellow shinigami like yourself. I do not want to go into great detail, for I do not have much time, but I thought I'd help to refresh your memory in case you don't remember anything the next time you wake up._

_They were going to execute you for murdering Akio. I know you didn't do it, you couldn't have. You're such a nice girl, and if I ever see you again, I'm going to pick you up and never let you go again._

_Back to the point, I couldn't let someone die for a murder they didn't commit, so I put my own neck on the line to get you out of there. When I got there you woke up, you didn't know who I was, or your Master, or where you were. After we escaped from Soul Society you fell back asleep, and for days afterwards you slept like a log. I heard of a village one time. A village that was extremely far out and away from anywhere else. It was a village that lived off itself. I hope to get you there so you'll be away from Soul Society forever and won't have to die unjustly. _

_Mayuri was worried about you._

_ Hideki_

"What happened to the man?" I asked the old woman as I handed the letter to her for her to read. I thought she might know some of the words I did not, like _shinigami, _or _soul society. _

"I'm sorry to inform you, but after he dropped you off with us, he passed on," Cho replied as she read the letter over her Obaasan's shoulder. "I'm really sorry."

_He's dead? _I thought in disbelief. _What was my life like? Who was Hideki? Was this Akio I was wrongly accused of killing the man in the image I saw not long ago? Does that mean that Hideki saved me because he thought I was innocent, but I really was the one who committed the crime? I…cannot jump to conclusions, and I do so hope that was not the case._

"It says, 'your Master', does that mean she was a slave, Obaasan?" Cho asked as her grandma started to roll up the scroll once more.

"I'm not sure," Obaasan replied. "Do you know the significance of this letter, Yuki?"

"No, I don't. At the moment I don't understand anything," I replied. Obaasan went on to explain what Soul Society was, and shinigami, and finally how shinigami were hated in this village.

"The whole reason this village was started is to get away from the Soul Society's grasp. The people who founded this village wished to live by our own accord, and not have to be ruled over by such a powerful force. You are, or were, obviously a shinigami. That's why I recognized your clothes. They must be burned."

"This kimono?" I asked, shocked. "No, we can't burn it! This sword and this kimono is all I have left of my past!"

"Maybe it's time for you to forget the past and start a new life," Obaasan's look was stern yet comforting.

"But I don't even know what my past was. If I burn the only things linking me to the past, I will never find out who _I _am. I'll never find out who my Master is, who Akio was, who the man who wrote the letter, Hideki, was, or whom the other man mentioned in the letter, Mayuri, is. If you burn that kimono, you might as well burn me along with it."

Obaasan sighed. "I see you are set on your decision. You can keep it on one condition. You must _never _talk about yourself being a shinigami, and the kimono and sword must be kept in hiding."

"May I keep the sword? It interests me, I would like to learn to wield it," I interjected; worried that such a nice sword would be wasted.

"Fine, you may keep the sword and learn how to wield it, there is a man in this village who knows the art of the sword. He may agree to teach you. But the clothes will be hidden, and until the day comes that you leave again, if it ever does, they will remain hidden."

"Alright," I agreed as I looked at the kimono. "Where is that man, Hideki, buried?"

That night I visited the man whose face I do not know. The man who saved my life, and I cannot remember. He was buried on top of a hill, among a few other graves.

"Mysterious man Hideki," I placed a white flower on his grave as I knelt by the wooden cross, "I promise I shall remember you, no matter how long it takes. And until then, and still afterwards, I shall honor your sacrifice. Thank you very much for letting me continue to live, though you had to give your own life for that to happen. I wish I could remember you now so I could reminisce about all the times we must have shared together. Rest peacefully, my dear friend."

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**Thanks to everyone keeping up with the chapters! I'd like to hear what you all think of the story, so it'd be great to get a review or two! hint hint **

**hehe! .**


	6. Chapter 6: Good Bye

Chapter 6 – Good Bye

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"Thanks for helping with the wheat," Cho said to me. I had been helping Cho and Obaasan around the farm to repay them for housing me for the time being. They had a fair sized patch of wheat and a few animals. It was nothing big, just enough to bring in money to survive.

For the first time since I had awoken I felt excited. Today I would go to the swordsman that Obaasan had told me about to learn how to wield my sword. But first I would have to convince him, because according to Obaasan, he would not likely agree at first. Cho had given me directions through the village on where to find him. She couldn't go with me; she had a lot of work to do.

The day was very hot and dry, and I found myself sweating before I even found the place. I knocked at his door. An older man opened the door. He was shorter than me and quite skinny, and his hair was starting to turn grey.

"Good day young lady," he said to me. "How may I help you?"

"Good afternoon," I replied to him as I bowed. "I have come to ask a favor of you." He must have seen the sword strapped to my hip because he shook his head. "I haven't even asked yet, why are you already saying no?"

"I will not teach you how to use that sword," he told me. "You are not fit for such a thing. You are a young, fragile girl who should be working on whatever your job is and taking care of your family. A whim to learn the art of the sword will not be enough to master it."

What he said irritated me. The two things left of mine from my past was a kimono and a sword. I would have obviously known how to wield it, but have forgotten. This man was telling me my place in life, and I did not approve.

"I have no real family to my knowledge," I replied as politely as I could. "And I must know how to wield my sword."

"I will not teach you. That is my final answer," he closed the door. I knocked again, but he didn't come to the door. I was now quite annoyed, so I ran to the side of his house and jumped through a window.

"You must teach me," I demanded. He was surprised that I had gotten into his house that way. "I will not take no for an answer."

"I will not take this disrespect."

"What am I supposed to show you? You ask for respect, but how can I respect a man who says no before I even ask? You hide from me behind your walls, and you say I have no respect, but tell me, from what I've seen, why should I?"

"You make a point, but points won't make me teach you either. You are a girl, your desires are supposed to find a man, to have a family, and the like. Men are supposed to want to learn how to use a sword, not women."

"Don't tell me what I want. I want to remember who I am, I want to learn to wield a sword, I want to go back home; those are the things that _I _want."

"I heard about you," he replied slowly. "You're the girl who was brought by that man who died, you've forgotten everything but your name."

"Yes."

"Still, it doesn't mean I'll teach you how to use a sword."

I could have driven my fist into his jaw; his attitude pissed me off completely. But I didn't. I needed a teacher if the sword on my hip was going to be useful in any way, but how could I convince him to train me?

"Tell me, how can I prove my worth to you. There must be something to change your mind."

"Something to…change my mind?" he pondered for a moment.

--

I ended up cleaning his whole entire house, top to bottom, making it spotless. The floor shone, the walls glimmered, and every piece of furniture and ornament of any kind sparkled with glee from being freed from a dusty prison. For some reason, I felt that I should have expected such a request from the old man.

"Very good," he said to me as he looked over my work. "Very nicely done."

"So you agree to train me?"

"This is the kind of work a young lady like you should be doing, not sword pra…"

"Listen old man," I sighed; I was almost at my breaking point. "If you're just going to use me as a chore girl, and then refuse my request once again, I give up. You're full of shit, why can't I get it through to you that I am not a normal 'lady'. No normal young lady has gone through what I have in the past few days, let alone what must have happened over my whole life. The man who brought me here - the one who died – left a sword with me. I _have _to learn how to wield it, and if you will not teach me I shall learn it myself."

I turned to the door, but he told me to stop. I obeyed.

"You are really set on learning, aren't you?" he asked.

"Obviously."

"I cannot teach you, it is against my code to teach a woman such a crude thing," I thought he would say something like that. "But," now I turned to him. His voice told me that he was doing something he normally wouldn't. Was he making an exception for me? Why would he do that for someone he had just met? "I know someone who can teach you."

--

"You're leaving already?" Cho whined as she jumped up and down in front of me. "You only just got here!"

"I don't belong here," I replied to her. I had packed the few things I owned, and some food and water given to me by Obaasan. "I must find my own life once again."

"Come, Cho," Obaasan took the girl by the shoulder and pulled her gently away. "She has to go."

"I know…" she pouted. "You didn't even get to meet my father, Yori, yet! He always stays away days on end! I wanted him to meet you!"

"Good bye, Obaasan, Cho, and thank you very much," I bowed politely.

"Take this with you," I looked up to see Obaasan handing the black kimono to me.

"But I thought you wished to keep it hidden…"

"Use your brain, Yuki. You're leaving for good; there is no reason to hide it anymore. Take it with you." I took it from her, and thanked them both again, then instantly turned and left.

My left eye had healed thanks to Obaasan's remedies and over the past few days I was able to see properly again. All of the other minor wounds that I had were also healed. On the way out of the village I stopped once more at Hideki's grave, but I didn't say anything. There was no more to say. I turned my back from the village, and without looking back, started on my way towards the person who would teach me what I needed to know.

--

**Thanks for reading once again! Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Miss Amaya

Chapter 7 – Miss Amaya

--

I arrived at a small house in the middle of nowhere 8 days later. For the past two days the rain came down as hard as hail. Now that I was out of the semi-coverage of the forest I had traveled through most of the way, everything – including most of the things in my pack – were soaked. I hurried to the door and knocked. Because of the rain I couldn't hear any movement inside, but after a minute of standing there, knocking every few moments, I realized that nobody was home. Where could the person be in such a storm? I sat down by the house for a little bit of shelter from the rain when I was forced to look up. Somebody was standing in front of me.

"Hello, and who might you be?" it was a woman, she was tall and beautiful, with long brown hair and dark eyes, and a black kimono was draped over her.

"M-My name is Yuki," I hadn't noticed before but I was extremely cold, and it made me stutter. "I-I am looking for someone to teach me how to use a katana."

"How about some shelter, dry clothes, and something warm to eat first?" the woman smiled at me. I gladly took her up on the offer. She brought me into her small house, which only seemed small from the outside, but when inside you can't help but notice that over half of the size of the house is actually carved out of the cliff it rested on.

"My name is Kai Amaya," she said to me as she put a pot of water on to boil. "It is nice to meet you, Yuki."

"It is nice to meet you too, Miss. Kai," I bowed to her.

"So you came all this way to see me?" she seemed quite flattered at this fact.

"Yes, I did," I went on to explain with minimal detail of how I got to be here, including the old man who sent me here.

"You're from that village, eh? I must say you're very well mannered to have come from such a place. I don't care much for those people at all, constantly going against what works…oh well," she said it to herself more than she said it to me.  
"I will accept your request, Yuki, and teach you how to use a sword. But you must promise me that you'll cooperate completely, and give me 100 of your focus, strength, and ability. Hold anything back, and I will pry it out of you. Deal?"

"Yes, Miss. Kai," I replied, being fine with the terms.

"And call me Amaya. There's no need for my student to be so formal," she smiled as she handed me a beautiful kimono out of her closet.

"It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed as I hesitantly felt the soft fabric it was made of.

"Take off those drenched clothes and get into it," she told me.

"Is that alright? It looks very important…"

"Put it on, Yuki! Think of it as a gift, okay? We can't have you running around in those rags you're wearing all the time." She handed me a towel and I began to take off my clothes. "Yuki…where did you get this?" she asked as she touched my bare back, running her hand over a large scar.

"I don't know," I replied to her. I noticed the scar before, but since it gave me no pain I never mentioned it to Obaasan, and I'd forgotten about it.

"Right, you said you lost your memory," she mumbled a she studied my scar. She pointed out a few other almost healed scars on my arms, legs, and stomach that I hadn't noticed before, or maybe never paid any attention to. "What happened to this girl?" she whispered to herself.

--

"Do you have something to wear for training?" she asked me as she looked through her pile of clothes for something for me.

"Yes, I think so," as I reached over to pull out the black kimono, I remembered what Obaasan said about the shinigami. I hesitated; would this woman share the same views as the people from the village? Does this woman hate these _shinigami?_

"Well, let's see it," she said, her hands on her hips. I decided to show her anyway. "This is…now it makes more sense. You're a shinigami."

"So I heard," I replied.

"Interesting," a smile spread over her face. "This will make it more fun. Come, get dressed and come outside, today we will start your training."

I hurried to do as she told me, and was outside behind her in seconds waiting for her to start.

"Put the sword down, first I will have to test you on a few things." Throughout the day I didn't unsheathe the sword once. Amaya made me run long distances, lift heavy objects, and the like for the whole morning without stopping, that by 1 I was exhausted. We took a short lunch break before we got back to work.

"Okay, you're in very good shape," she stated. "Very good endurance, good strength…I think we're ready for the next step."

"What's the next step?" I asked, excitedly.

"I'm going to see if you remember how to use _Shun Po, _or _flash step_," and she started to explain to me how this move was executed. I didn't understand much of what she said, stuff about spiritual pressure that I'd never heard about made me think that I couldn't do this _Shun Po. _But I didn't say that to her, I promised to give it my all, so after her explanation I tried it for myself.

"No, put more power behind it. The more you give, the faster you'll go," she said and I tried again.

_"Power…" _I thought, _"…speed…"_A blast of wind hit me as I stepped forward, and I smiled. Suddenly the sensation brought me back as I saw images of myself dressed in black using the move I had just been taught.

"Yuki?" the voice of my sensei broke through to me, and I once more saw what was actually in front of me. "What happened? You had it, but then you just stopped."

"It was…nothing…"

"Yuki, it was something. You have to be honest with me, keeping secrets won't help us any, okay?"

I hesitated for a moment before deciding she was right. "I saw a vision into my past, at least I'm pretty sure that's what it was," I replied, feeling a little dizzy. Amaya made me sit down for a few minutes before trying the technique again, which I seemed to have picked up on pretty easily. I told Amaya about the vision I had, and she said she'd think about the significance of it and what it might mean.

--

"Since I have an extra mouth to feed my shopping schedule is a little messed up," Amaya said to me a few weeks later. "So today were going to town to do some shopping!"

"There's a town near here?" I asked, not knowing of this.

"Yup, I go there once a month or so," she replied to me. She was digging through her chest and pulled out a wad of cash and stuffed it into her bag. "You ready?"

We used the technique _shun po _to reach the town. I had trained constantly on the technique to perfect it and to gain as much stamina as possible, but I was still out of breath when we reached the town's outskirts.

Amaya lead me into the marketplace and I was amazed at how many people were there. Dozens crowded around the stands of people selling all kinds of things. They sold everything from food to clothes to products that make carrots grow bigger. Amaya did all the shopping and I carried the bags of things she bought. She mostly bought food, but soon we came to a stand with the most beautiful kimonos and she made me try one on.

"I think this would look beautiful on you, Yuki," she said as she took a red kimono off the rack. It was gorgeous. The kimono was dark red with black detail and a phoenix stitched into the back and over the shoulder. Even the obi was flooding with beautiful details.

"It's very pretty," I replied, "but I like this one better." I pointed out a light blue and white one that was a lot less fancy, and had a more delicate look to it. The pattern on it was of sakura petals, but because they were all a soft blue they reminded me of snow.

"Try it on, then," she picked up the blue kimono and handed it to me. I stood behind the screen and changed into the kimono while Amaya watched what we had bought. When I stepped out she smiled. "It fits you very nicely, and the color brings out the blue in your eyes."

"Yes, yes it is very stunning," the old lady shopkeeper stated. "It will draw the men to you for sure." I blushed a little, and Amaya laughed.

"Come, take it off while I pay."

"What? You're not buying it for me, are you?"

"Why else would I make you try it on?"

"But look at the price tag. I couldn't make you spend so much on me. You've been so very kind to me as it is."

"Sheesh, Yuki," she sighed. "You came to me soaking wet an in the worst shape I've seen a girl, with messy hair and old, torn clothes. Obviously nobody had been taking proper care of you, so it's time someone did. If you like it I'll buy it for you."

"But I don't even know when I'll wear it…"

"Yes ma'am, I'll take it," she said to the shopkeeper and I knew it was useless to argue. I changed back into my regular clothes and then walked off with the kimono.

We shopped for hours, but we didn't buy anything but the kimono, food and a few other things like soap and something she wouldn't show me. When I asked her what it was she giggled and said that I'd find out later.

--

Night had fallen by the time we reached home. The air was cool on my skin, bringing a feeling of still calm to my spirit and soothed my mind, even though the past few weeks were extremely hard because of my constant training. I offered to bring in some wood for a fire from the storage bin outside. I took 5 logs back into the house, but when I entered and latched the door, I noticed that Miss Amaya had already fallen asleep. She was sprawled out on her bed and hadn't even changed out of her clothes yet. I put a fire on after covering her up, and then sat beside her quietly as I watched the flames dance.

I reached into the chest that Amaya had given me to hold my things and pulled out the letter from Hideki. I read it over many times, hoping to recall something more. I couldn't help but wonder what my life was like. Obviously, because of this letter and the few visions I had, it was no walk in the park. As I strained my brain to remember something, a part inside me asked myself if I really wanted to remember. My old life could have been horrible, and if I knew was it was I might want to forget. Was it worth the trouble?

"Yeah, I think it is," I smiled. "There is no honor from running away from one's problems." I looked over at Amaya as she slept. _"I wonder if there was someone like Amaya in my past, someone strong and beautiful to take care of me and teach me. Maybe this 'Master' that was mentioned in the letter is someone kind like she is. I can only guess…" _I closed my eyes to sleep as I thought of what my old Master might have looked like, but every time I tried to be creative with the thought an image of Amaya kept appearing in my mind.

--

**hehe I hit 2000 words in one chapter, yay!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Read & **_**REVIEW!!**_** :D**


	8. Chapter 8: Ketsueki Guujin

Chapter 8 – Ketsueki Guujin

--

Months past like weeks as I continued my training. The summer leaves were changing their colors and falling to the ground, and there was a cool breeze that bit your skin reminding you that the warm months were coming to a close.

One day; I don't know what day of the week it was because I had long ago lost track; Amaya came to me and told me that my training was almost over. She continued on to explain that she would finish my training while we traveled.

"Where are we traveling, Amaya?"

"We are going to the Soul Society," as she said the words something clicked in my brain. All of a sudden I could see pictures of buildings and different people dressed in black uniform like I was. I saw a few people in white jackets; there was one boy with hair as white as snow, and another man with a patch over his eye.

"The Soul Society? Amaya, I remember more, as you said that I got some of my memory back. Nothing more than pictures, but…"

"That's good. Now come, we are going to pack. We will leave tomorrow morning before the sun rises, so relax for the rest of the day and get plenty of sleep so you won't be tired tomorrow." I obeyed, though I wanted to train more today. I sat alone in the grass, warm from the sun's rays, listening to the wind while I polished my blade.

"You are a beautiful sword," I whispered to it. For some reason unknown to me, talking to this sword of mine seemed natural, and not odd at all. "You glisten in the sun," I held it up in the sunlight, "your perfect steel. Do you remember anything from our past? I have forgotten most of it, as you probably know." Suddenly I heard a voice. It was a soft and delicate voice, and it told me two words, _Ketsueki Guujin. _I was awestruck, and wondered if it was merely my imagination. "Ketsueki Guujin? My sword, what do you mean by that? It was you who spoke, was it not?" I stared at the sword, and moments later I heard a positive reply. "Tell me," I said once more, "what do you mean by that?"

"You know. Don't tell me you've also forgotten my name?"

"Your…name? Ketsueki Guujin is your name?"

"Yes it is. Come, Yuki, you know what words to say, what emotions to feel. Unshackle me; I am tired of this boring form. Free me to shikai."

"Free you to shikai. Alright, Ketsueki," I stood up, and completely out of reflex I said, "Release, Ketsueki Guujin!" a red smoke stole out of the hilt, and clouded around me so thickly that it was hard to see, but in an instant it dissipated. I was shocked to see the form of my blade. The shape remained how it was before, spare a few spikes sticking out from the sharp side of the sword. The color of the sword, however, was now a deep red, and I noticed that it seemed to be dripping blood from the spikes on the sword.

"What an interesting shikai," I looked up to see my teacher. "I had a feeling it would speak to you soon."

"You knew that my sword could talk?"

"Of course. Though I don't normally tell people this, I was a shinigami at one point too. I never got to be a high rank, but after I left I perfected the techniques that the shinigami had founded."

"You mean you have a zanpakuto as well?"

"Yes, I do. I never use it, though."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"This red liquid," she bent down to see my blade and the thick substance oozing out of it, "I think its poison." Where the liquid hit the ground the grass turned a dark purple, and then faded to brown. "It is killing the grass, and it smells toxic."

"Why would I have a poisonous shikai?" I asked her, but my zanpakuto answered.

"Our Master willed it so," Ketsueki replied.

"Master? Do you remember?"

"Of course I do, and I am surprised you have forgotten."

"Then tell me, remind me! I want to know!"

"I cannot do that, Yuki. You must find out for yourself."

"What's its name?" Amaya asked me, and I realized I had forgotten she was present.

"Seems you forget everything," my sword laughed at me but I ignored it, knowing it was merely joking.

"Ketsueki Guujin," I answered her, and she mused over the name. I didn't know what the significance of having a sword named _Blood Doll _was, but the morbid name didn't bother me. I felt like we had a long connection in the past, and a name cannot change that.

--

**Yeah okay so it's a little bit of a short chapter .; Hope you all enjoyed it just the same, though :D**

**For her zanpakuto's name I used an online dictionary, so I'm not sure how reliable the result is. If anybody thinks it's wrong and what it should be changed to while keeping the same meaning, **_**Blood Doll, **_**it would be a great help to let me know! **

**Thanks a bunch! R&R! **


	9. Chapter 9: My Heart Pounds

Chapter 9 – My Heart Pounds

--

We left early in the morning like she told me we would. We set out at a slow flash step so as not to wear ourselves out. When the sun was it's highest in the sky we stopped to eat, and when it cooled down we set up camp and trained. Stopping so early every day slowed down our progress in reaching Soul Society, but by the 6th day she said I had finished my training.

According to her only 3 days remained before we reached our destination. My heart pounded faster every step I took as I thought of what it would be like. When I got back, would I actually remember, or would my memory fail me once more? I was accused of murder, would they simply lock me up again? The new thought scared me, but I kept moving forward.

A few days passed and I found myself staring at a huge wall with a city enclosed within it. It was bigger than anything I had seen before.

"Well, this is where we part, Yuki," Amaya said to me with a small smile. I turned quickly to her, not believing her words.

"Why are you leaving me? I thought we were going together," I asked in surprise.

"I don't belong here," she told me. "This is your home; mine is in the forest from where we came. You have to go, the Gatekeeper will let you in. You are a shinigami. Don't be afraid."

"But I don't know what to do!" Amaya took the collar of my kimono and showed me a symbol on the inside of the fabric. I had seen it there before but didn't know what it meant.

"This is the 12th division's logo. Find the building by asking around, but don't draw too much attention to yourself," she told me. "A shinigami who doesn't know the layout of this place is either dumb, new or an imposter."

"The 12th division…" it seemed so familiar to me. I nodded, understanding what I had to do. "I'm sorry you can't come, Amaya. I'll miss you." I took my sword and left her, without looking back or saying good-bye. It would be too painful, even though I would probably never see her again. My feet took me to a run, and soon I was faced with an enormous person.

"You are the Gate Keeper?" I asked him.

"Yes, I am. What business do you have?"

"I am a shinigami from 12th division, will you grant me access?"

"Yeah sure, of course. No need to be so formal," he laughed as he opened the gate by lifting it on his shoulders. It must have weighs tons, but he lifted it so easily. I passed through quickly and he shut the door behind me.

I was surprised at the sight; so many people dressed in the same uniform as I with swords on their hips walked by. Only a few turned their heads to look at me with a casual look. As I jogged swiftly along I noticed a graveyard. Many tombstones were lined up like soldiers ready to fight and die for their land. And these men and women were dead. I felt an ache as it disappeared behind me.

As I thought of the graveyard more, I remembered again that I was known as a murderer here, yet nobody seemed to know my face. I was glad nobody recognized me for _that _reason, anyway. Who was dead, and why was I blamed for it? Why did so many around me die, like the man who brought me to the village in the first place. _Hideki._

Then my eye caught something. I turned to see a tall, beautiful girl standing in the crowd. Her face looked familiar, and her dark hair pulled back into a braid that stretched downwards on her back. Something in my mind snapped. Images started rushing painfully into my head, sending me to my knees. My vision started to go black, or maybe my eyes had shut.

--

**Thanks a million to everybody who favorite'd this story and put it on their story alert, and to those who reviewed! I like people who review…so review please? ^_^**

**The next Chapter will be longer; I planned it last night when I couldn't sleep. I can't wait to write it! **

**R&R**


	10. Chapter 10: Loyalty

Chapter 10 – Loyalty

--

My eyes fluttered open. I was in a plain room of white and black, with little furnishings around me. I could finally think the words; _I recognize this place. _It was my room, and I remembered. I _remembered. _I remember why I was sent to jail, _that _I was sent to jail, and the man that I was accused of murdering…but did I murder him? _One thing I still forget. I don't remember everything, then._

But I remember _him. _His long, bony fingers, his plaster white skin, his golden eyes, his smile, his hair, and his face…I remembered. I remembered the love I had for him, the love I once again have, the love for my Master. I didn't want anything to take that away ever again.

What about that man who saved me? Another thing I still forget. Strike two. But I remember the jail. Those moments of pain were worse than any other. I shied away from that thought; it was something I could do with forgetting again.

I easily found the strength in me to sit up. Why was I here, anyway? The last thing that had happened was on that street when I saw that girl. Nemu. Did she bring me back to my room?

Whatever the case, I had enough of sitting around. I jumped up from the bed and noticed my sword on a table. I picked it up quickly.

Strangely enough, I had no will to stay in this room after my memory partially returned. It almost surprised me that I now felt so unconnected to it. I spent so much of my time here, and then I slaved away trying to get the memories of this place back, yet no desire to stay. Or did I want these memories?

"Did I care about all of my memories?" I whispered to myself as I looked over my room. "Was it just human instinct to want to remember, or did I want to remember just some things? Or did I just want to remember him?"

I shook my head with lack of understanding and left the room. Master's laboratory wasn't far from here, and he was likely there. Suddenly my feet took me to a complete halt. More was coming back to me, but it didn't hurt as much as the first time. Maybe it was shock that had sent me to my knees. This time I stood in a hallway looking at the floor as I felt things returning.

I remembered my words. _He is my Master; I am his Puppet. _My utmost devotion to him surprised me even now. I had given my will over to his own. Was that love, or foolishness?

Then I remembered the question that haunted me the most. My eyes closed in pain as I thought of that night; the night I looked at my feet at the twisted body of my only true friend, and what _I _had had done to him. I _did _kill him, and then another died because he thought I was innocent. Why are lives lost because of someone as useless as me?

Master had ordered me to do it. I didn't want to, but I did because he told me to. I could blame him for it, but in the end it was me who drew the sword that killed him, not Master. But _why _did he make me do it?

"Master, what plan you could possibly have that you ordered me to kill him?" I had to have that answer, at least.

I ran to his laboratory door and knocked on it. There was no answer. I knocked again. No answer. Didn't Nemu tell him I was back?

"Master, are you there? I'm back, didn't Nemu tell you?" This was something I had never done before. Whenever I needed Master I just waited for him to show and he normally did. Not once in my life had I knocked on his lab door – I had only ever seen inside it one time.

The door opened.

"I'm sorry, Yuki, Master Kurotsuchi isn't here at the moment." It was Nemu.

"Where is he? I need to see him!" I demanded. She shook her head and started closing the door. "Stop, Nemu. I need to see my Master. Tell me where he is."

"I don't know…" I let the obstinate girl shut the door. If Master wasn't there, where was he? I stood in front of the lab thinking, running through every possible location in my head. None of them made sense. I started slowly back to my room. Maybe I'd be able to make more sense of it there, though it was unlikely. I slipped the key in the lock (I had picked it up before I left my room) and opened the door. Master stood by the far wall.

"So you are back," he spoke. I remembered his voice, the voice that commanded me to do things almost unimaginable.

"I am," I managed to say.

"You've changed."

"Have I?" I asked. "I wonder why." He made no reply. "Maybe because I was put in jail." I paused; still no reply. "Maybe because I lost my memory; maybe because I felt abandoned; maybe because I was told to kill someone important to me and I actually did! Master, you know that I'd do whatever you say. Why did you tell me to kill him?"

"I cannot tell you," he replied.

"Cannot tell me? Why not? Give me one damn good reason why not!"

"Because if I did, then you would hate me."

"You think I already don't? You left me for dead; someone _else _saved me, not _you, _someone _else! _That someone else died because they thought I was innocent! You abandoned me, and you think I'll still love you and devote myself to your existence like before? Do you think I'm _that _naïve?" tears came to my eyes as I spoke, and I turned around and left the room without letting him answer. I doubt he would have anyway. _I cannot tell you._ What bullshit.

_Do you hate him? _Did I? Did I hate him, after all that? Was my love that weak that those events could taint it?

Yes. It was. I hated him; I hated my Master like no other. He made my life hell.

_But he also made it meaningful. _ He did make it meaningful. He _made _it in the first place. No matter what happens he is still the one who created me. Does that mean it is blasphemy to hate him?

I don't know. I cannot answer a question like that.

I stopped as I heard something behind me. It sounded like glass breaking. The sound came from behind me, down the hallway towards my room. I looked behind me and saw the closed door that I hadn't realized I had slammed. There was a racket coming from behind the door. What had happened?

I ran back down the hallway, and I felt a fear in my chest. Had something happened to my Master?

Wait, should I care? No, I don't care. It's not fear for him I feel; I recognize another spiritual pressure; Akio's sister, _Aoi, _the woman who had taken it upon herself to beat me when she found out I had killed him.

I ran faster. The hallway wasn't long and I hadn't covered much ground, so I flew the door open and jumped into the room. My heart stopped. I saw the world through slow motion. She had lunged. Her sword was drawn and she was aimed towards my Master's heart. Revenge for Akio's death?

My feet didn't hesitate. I seemed to crawl along the floor as I picked my feet up to run, and I think I screamed, because they both looked at me. Until Master saw me he didn't seem in the least concerned. Perhaps he knew he wouldn't get hurt. Aoi looked at me with utmost hate.

But after he saw me and saw me move I could read on his face that he knew my intentions. I didn't even know why I moved to shield him from her sword, but I did. I jumped in front and he grabbed me by the arms to move me, but I pushed him away instead. I had jumped to shield him, but against all training I had I jumped with my back towards my opponent.

_If I'm going to die, _I heart myself think, _let me gaze upon my Master as I fall. _

The sword pierced into my back to the right of my spine. It was so painful that I had to scream, and I fell down as my Master rose up. He called on his zanpakuto and the poisonous gas spread around us like a fog. I lay there for some long moments, then suddenly I felt something burning touch the skin on my neck, and I realized someone had picked me up. My consciousness was fading, and my senses were dulled, but I could faintly hear the sound of a heart beating in my right ear.

I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the things I heard and saw made little sense in my blurring vision. Darkness was approaching, and coolness flooded over me, relaxing my muscles and calming my mind. If I was dying, it was much more pleasant than anyone could imagine, but at the same time it was almost too pleasant to be the work of death.

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**Next time it will be the final chapter! Yay another fanfic concluded! :D**

**I'm kind of sad that I won't be writing on it anymore, though. It was so much fun to do. :(**

**Thanks to everyone who read thus far, and I hope you liked the chapter and are as excited as me for the last one! ^_^ **


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